Hey mcataz,
Let me first say that you've made a fine decision in choosing UOP as your first choice. Like you, I only plan to be a general practioner post graduation, thus maximal clinical exposure was first on my list when choosing between all the schools. Any school will provide its students with an adequate clinical experience, but that extra year out in real-world practice you get from UOP will prove to be more of an experience than any time spent in the school clinics. So, in my opinion, the money is not a a huge factor if you want to be able to get a headstart on developing your hand-skills and productivity.
Now to answer your question in regards to what UOP looks for in an applicant, I feel that the most important and often overlooked thing you can do is to express interest in the school, especially for UOP. Having a decent GPA (3.0 +/- 0.2) and DAT scores (20+ across the board) is a given for any school. What makes UOP different is their humanistic approach, which means that everyone at all levels is treated like family. If you've ever visited UOP, you'll know then that the atmosphere there is very warm and friendly, unlike some other schools that I visited during my interviews. Knowing this, the best way to let the admissions committe know that you'll fit in well at UOP is to show them that you, too, are warm and friendly. I received this tip from the clinic director at the AEGD residency clinic in Union City, where I interned for a year. Once they received my application, I made several random visits to the school just to get my name out to the staff there. In doing that, I got to meet some very important people in the decision-making process. The director even told me to have my parents visit the school to ensure that I'll receive a "strong" consideration, but I didn't feel that I needed to go that far. If your GPA and DAT are well-below average, then you could try that approach. Hope all this helps and good luck! PM me if you have any more questions about UOP. Trust that I did my research before deciding to throw down $250K just so I could go to UOP.
UoPSoD 2006
